From
left, Jacqueline Noonan, M.D., pediatric cardiologist
at UK Children's Hospital, and Sheila and Greg David,
stand in front of the Makenna Wall.

August
1, 2003 (Lexington, Ky.) --
University of Kentucky Children’s
Hospital received a new look today, thanks to
a donation from the Makenna
Foundation. A 30-foot long ceramic tile wall designed
by Lexington artists Jill and Richard Stofer now greets
patients and visitors entering UK Children’s
Hospital.

While a patient at Texas
Children’s Hospital, Makenna David, of Lexington,
found joy in touching a three-dimensional ceramic
tile wall. There, Makenna was diagnosed with pulmonary
veno occlusion, a rare lung disorder. After Makenna
passed away in December 1998 at 20-months old, it
became a goal of her mother, Sheila David, to build
a similar wall at UK Children’s Hospital—where
Makenna also received treatment.

To
create the wall, Richard Stofer built the steel frame
while Jill Stofer, an art teacher, enlisted help from
her students at the Lexington Montessori School to
create the hundreds of tiles that fill the frame

The
Makenna Foundation was established by RE/MAX
Creative Realty in September 2001 in Makenna's
memory. The foundation holds an annual fundraiser,
The Art of Making Miracles, to purchase equipment
for UK Children's Hospital. This year’s event
will be held on September 5, 2003. The event will
help fund a sedation room for a new UK
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology clinic which soon
will begin construction.